Dry-compound fire-extinguishing tube.



No. 7|7,2oo. Patented Dec. 30, lsoz.

A. & T. R. HOPPER.

DRY COMPOUND FIRE EXTINGUISHING TUBE.

(Apph'cation'filad May 21, 1902.)

(No Model.)

mammal. qv ver I A fro/mg UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED HOPPER AND THOMAS R. HOPPER, OF HIGHLAND, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TOTHE HOPPER POWDER GUN COMPANY, OF HIGHLAND, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW JERSEY.

DRY-COMPOUND FIRE-EXTINGUISHING TUBE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 717,200, dated December30, 1902.

Application filed May 21,1902. Serial No. 108,362. iNo model.)

1"0 all whom it vita/y concern.-

Be it known that we, ALFRED HOPPER and THOMAS R. HOPPER, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of Highland, in the county of Ulster andState of New York, have invented a new and Improved Dry-OompoundFire-Extinguishing Tube, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in devices for throwing drypowdered compounds for the purpose of extinguishing fires.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a tube or like receptacle soconstructed that it will not allow the compound to fall in large masses,and thus exert but little influence on the fire, but which, through theaction of the hand in throwing the material from the tube, inconjunction with a diffusing device at the mouth of the tube, willproduce a large quantity of well-difiused powder, resulting in a greatergeneration of fire-extinguishing gas, and consequently producing agreater effect upon the fire, together with a greater economy in powder,which latter is of material benefit to a person using the extinguisher,enabling him to extinguish a much greater surface on fire.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section through the improved tubewith the cover in position thereon. Fig. 2 is an end view of the tubeshown in Fig. 1, the cover being removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional sideelevation of the delivery end of a tube, illustrating a slightdifference in the form of the diffusing device. Fig. 4 is an end View ofthe device constructed as shown in Fig. 3. sectional side elevation ofthe delivery end of the tube, drawn on a smaller scale and illustratinganother form of the diffusing device.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the device as con-- structed in Fig. 5. Fig. 7is also a sectional Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the delivery end ofthe tube drawn upon a small scale and illustrating a furthermodification in the construction of the diffusing device, and Fig. 8 isan end View of the tube constructed as shown in Fig. 7.

The tube A may be of any desired dimensions and may be made of anysuitable material. It is provided with a removable bottom 10, preferablyfitted within the tube, as is shown in Fig. 1, enabling the tube to bereadily filled with powder when said'bottom 10 is removed. At the openoutlet end of the tube a cap or cover 11 is preferably made to slideexteriorly thereon, which cap or cover is provided with a ring or eye12, so that the device may be suspended from a hool; or nail or itsequivalent, and whereby at such time when the device is needed the bodymay be speedily separated from the cover by subjecting the former to aquick downward move- .ment.

At the delivery end 13 of the tube A a diffusing device B is located,stationary or removable, as desired. The diffusing device B may be ofany suitable form. For example, the device is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 inthe form of an inverted cone, in Figs. 3and 4: as an inverted pyramidhaving a triangular base, in Figs. 5 and 6 as an inverted pyramid havinga rectangular base, and in Figs. 7 and 8 as a half-sphere with itsconvexed surface facing the mouth of the tube.

The diffusing device B may be hollow, as is shown, or it may be solid,and its tapering or reduced lower portion only may be made to enter thetube to a greater or less extent, as illustrated, or the said device maybe placed wholly within the tube; but under all conditions of usage thedimensions of the upper or outer portion of the diffusing device shallbe such as to leave a space 14 between the sides of the diffusing deviceand the innerwall of the tube A at its outlet end 13.

Under the preferred construction shown in the drawings the diffusingdevice is supported partially without and partially within the tube B bya spider-frame 15, made, preferably, of a wire of suitable gage, thebody or horizontal portion of which spider-frame is secured in anyapproved manner to the upper portion of the diffusing device, and saidframe is provided with legs 17 at the terminals of its members, securedby soldering or otherwise to the inner surface of the tube A at itsoutlet end, as is best shown in Fig. 1. In operation, the cover 11having been removed, the tube is grasped in the hand and is given aquick jerking or throwing movement in direction of the fire to beextingnished, whereupon the powder in the tube will be expelled welldiffused, owing to the flaring shape of the device B, and will leave thetube in a cloud or mass of separated small particles, the result being,as stated, a quick generation of fire-extinguishing gas of greatervolume and speedier action than is obtainable by any other form ofsimilar tube of which we have knowledge, since in all the tubes of whichwe are aware the powder leaves the tube to a great extent in large moreor less compact masses, which is a waste of material, as the powder sodistributed has comparatively little influence on the fire.

Having thus described our invention, we

- claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A dry-compoundfire-extinguishing tube having an open or delivery end; a spider secured to and projecting beyond the delivery end of the tube; a tapereddeflector secured at its base to the said spider; and a telescoping capfor closing the end of the tube, and housing the spider and deflector,as specified and shown.

2. Adry-compound fire-extinguishing tube having an open or delivery end;a spider mounted at said end and projecting beyond the same; a tapereddeflector carried by said spider, having its base secured thereto andits apex extending within the mouth of the tube, and a cap for closingthe end of the tube,

- said cap being held on the tube by friction,

and provided with a ring, or eye, for suspending the tube, as set forth.

3. A dry-compound fire-extinguishing tube having open ends, a spidersecured at the delivery end of the tube and projecting beyond the same,said spider being formed of two rods crossing each other at right anglesat their centers, and having their ends bent inwardly at right angles totheir main or body portions, said bent ends having their lower portionsextending into the open end of the tube in contact with the inner wallsthereof, parallel to said walls and secured thereto, a tapered deflectorhaving its apex end within the tube, and its enlarged end projectingbeyond the mouth of the tube and secured to the body portion of thespider, a cover for the delivery end of the tube, said cover telescopingover the end of the tube and forming a housing for the projectingportion of the spider and deflector, and a closure for the receiving endof the tube, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED HOPPER. THOMAS H. HOPPER.

Witnesses as to the signature of Alfred Hopper:

FRANK F. SIMPsEN, JOSEPHINE FREER.

Witnesses as to the signature of Thomas R. Hopper:

JOHN G. LUoAs, JOSEPHINE FREER

